Today I decided to set up my ground blind in a totally new place. I get there in the afternoon about 1:30 and clear the leaves and move a few branches around to break up my outline. I set down on my trusty milk crate and enjoy the warm sunshine. With muzzleloader and jr./sr. antlerless going on there are numerous shots around the area and I figured they would be sending the deer thru. I wait an hour and nothing but a three point spike wanders by. I was getting sleepy and I really wanted to curl up on the ground and take a nap. So I got out my cell phone and started checking out the games.
Suddenly I hear the crashing of leaves on the top of the hill. I put the cell phone down and look up to see a doe running by. Then I hear more footsteps and I see antlers. Whoa, big antlers! Turns out to be the big boy I saw the other day. He' s limping! Limping really bad. His left front shoulder is injured. Well, he stays out of bow range and walks into the thick stuff and beds down about 50 yards away. I get my binoculars and check him out. He' s definitely a 10-point with a perfect rack. He looks like he' s panting. I get all excited thinking that he' s going to expire right there. Then I' m thinking about what to do if a hunter comes looking for him. I thought about trying to stalk him by even crawling if I had to. I wait and hour and a half. Then I see a deer about 15 yards to his right. It was probably a doe but I' m not sure because it bedded down too. So I think " oh well, there goes my stalk. I' ll get busted if I even make a move" . Fifteen minutes later I see the buck jump to his feet. Suddenly him and the doe are spooked. The doe took off over the hill and the buck is headed right at me! I was caught off guard. I grab my bow and bring it up just as he is 15 feet in front of me. He stops when he sees me - right behind a small bush!!! Well, I knew I was busted alright so I drew the bow. I knew he was going to take off and I considered taking a chance to shoot thru the bush. He decided to cut off to the right up the hill. I think he had wings! He flew and took the 50 yards in maybe 8 leaps. The only shot I could even consider was at about 40 yards and I wasn' t comfortable at that distance with him moving like that. And just like that he was gone. Couldn' t even tell his shoulder was injured. I went to the top of the hill to see where he went. He apparently crossed the big field and was out of sight. I was so excited even though I didn' t get to shoot him. He was beautiful and his body was huge. I would guess he went 250.
I turn to see someone down to my left. It turns out to be a neighbor. We discussed deer and neighboring property etc. I told him that I watched that deer for two hours and he apologized. He had seen the doe and was following it. He had no idea that I or the buck was there. He told me that him and other neighbors have seen this buck in the field just about every morning. Oh well, I guess we probably won' t see that buck anymore. Wonder how bad that injury was? I hope someone can get him before he possibly dies from his injuries.

Sounds to me like some one hit him in the front shoulder, if he got up after laying for 2 hours, Id give him a 95% chance of surviving. With the rut about to start I dont doubt that he will be chasing does around in the next couple of weeks.